1998-08-19 Woozle writes to Grandma

Dear Grandma,

It has been an awfully long time since I have written to you, and I do apologize. Unfortunately this letter comes in the shadow of another sin – while cleaning out my Wisconsin apartment prior to leaving for Georgia (my first visit there since last November), I uncovered what appears to be an unsent Christmas thank-you card penned by Livia. I thought I had sent it, but it apparently was buried under a crust of magma and topsoil before being uncovered by my unsuspecting archaeological dig.

As a token attempt to make up for my disorganization, I will transcribe Livia’s sometimes-legible handwriting:

Dear Grandmother Dulce, Anna received from you this Christmas a Winnie-the-Pooh in a snowball crystal. When you turn the ball upside-down, iridescent snow tumbles about Pooh and his honey pot. Anna is absolutely enchanted. I’ve been reading one or two stories from The World of Pooh every night for the past month. She’s becoming a real Pooh fan. Next step is to play her the records I have of A.A. Milne stories being read by a famous British actor of the '50s whose name escapes me just now – Robert somebody? Oh dear – as Pooh would probably say. I hope you are well and keeping warm. For the first Christmas ever, Anna and I are apart from Mubbie’s home in Georgia. We’re having a small Christmas in Wisconsin where Nick is on contract programming a chip for firetrucks. Mubbie and my mother are in Georgia with a tree which Anna and I decorated last week. Anna has been an excellent traveler. We took in a most enjoyable aquarium in Chicago as well as a science museum with model trains and airplanes and buttons for Anna to push. It is very cold for us Georgia girls, but lots of fun. Take care and best wishes from all of us to you. (Anna, Livia, & Woozle)

Up until last week, all I had seen of that bunch since the first of October totaled about 3.5 weeks – not much time to spend with one’s family over a 9-month period! Happily, it is now looking as if I will be able to do much of my work on my own computer in Georgia, and it only remains to work out living arrangements for future visits. I am currently planning to return to Georgia the weekend of the 29th, but I haven't yet decided whether to take the trip in one long 16-hour stretch (as I did on the way up) or stop at a friend's place in Bloomington (Indiana) and have an Indian dinner… Ah, decisions decisions…

Once things have calmed down a bit, I’m looking forward to taking some much-needed time off to visit Durham this fall and perhaps before too long to bring Anna to England – I am quite positive she would have a wonderful time there, with all the trains and bookstores (she’s a big Asterix fan) and people to meet :-).

In the meantime, I do hope you are well, and hope we will be able to see you soon.

All the best,